A Study on Consumer Response according to MCN Branded Contents Type and Interactivity : Focusing on Mediating Effect of Perceived Telepresence and Perceived Authenticity

Choi, Moses

Cho, changhwan

This study paid attention to the multi-channel-network (MCN), which is the most popular branded content in the rapidly growing digital advertising market, and tried to identify the factors which influence the consumer response to MCN branded contents. The influence of MCN is gradually increasing in the Z generation. Based on this influential power, the cases of branded contents through the collaboration of MCN and companies are increasing. However, there are still few researches on the factors affecting the consumer reaction and advertisement effect of MCN branded contents. Therefore, this study tried to classify the types of MCN branded contents and to examine the consumer responses to interactivity of MCN branded contents. In addition, it was tried to identify if ’Perceived Telepresence’, which is an important variable in the consumption of digital contents, and ‘Perceived Authenticity’ to the MCN creator, which is the source of advertisement information in MCN branded contents, play the role of mediators. For this purpose, the MCN branded contents are newly classified into ‘hard-sell contents’ and ‘soft-sell contents’ depending on the exposure of the advertisement message, and consumer response was identified according to the intensity of interactivity (high/low). For the differentiation of the research, MCN creators working on YouTube were recruited and experimental videos were made. An online survey was conducted on those who have watched digital video focusing on people in the 20s. The study results showed that MCN branded contents type made significant effects on Perceived Authenticity, and ‘soft-sell contents’ had higher perceived authenticity than ‘hard-sell contents’. Interactivity made significant effects on perceived telepresence, perceived authenticity, attitude toward contents and word-of-mouth intention. When verifying the mediating effects of perceived telepresence and perceived authenticity, it was found that interactivity made significant effects on attitude toward contents and word-of-mouth intention through the media of perceived telepresence and perceived authenticity. It means that it is necessary to actively interact with MCN creators and consumers in order to increase the consumer response to MCN branded contents, and that a strategic advance planning is required for consumers to feel the reality of contents. Additionally, it suggests that authenticity should be an important criterion in the process of collaboration with MCN creators.